What a Few Too Many Pounds Can do to Your Ability to Hear

We’ve known for a long time that eating too much is detrimental to our health, and in particular over longer periods of time. Obesity is connected to quite a few health conditions. You can add hearing loss to diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease as a possible concern. It’s estimated that roughly 48 million people in the U . S ., about 20% of this country’s population, have loss of hearing, and in adults it’s nearly twice that number, 93 million, are obese. Throughout the country, these staggering numbers point to a serious health concern.

How Is Being Overweight Linked to Hearing Loss?

Several studies have revealed that hearing loss and obesity have a relationship. Specifically what that connection is, is still being researched, it’s thought that being overweight is related to hearing loss because of its impact on our circulatory system. What’s more, obesity is connected to diabetes and high blood pressure, which are also connected to loss of hearing.

Our inner ears are filled with microscopic hairs that detect sound in the ear. So that they can function effectively, these small hairs, called stereocilia, have to have a steady flow of blood. Due to obesity, the blood flow is restricted throughout the body because, so that it can keep the blood flowing inside the body, the heart must do additional work, which means that your inner ear is operating on too little blood flow. This could irreversibly damage the ears. Considering that all of these conditions impact the blood flow, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure affect the inner ear in the same way.

Keeping your weight under control is especially worthwhile as you get older since age-related hearing loss is also related to a high fat mass index. In the past, your body’s metabolism worked more efficiently and faster, which is the reason why you need to attempt to follow healthy habits that you formed when you were younger.

Your ears and your overall health are benefited by a healthy diet.

Obesity Associated Hearing Loss Treatment Options

If your loss of hearing is brought about by obesity, you may never be capable of getting it back, still, in order to figure out how considerable your loss of hearing is, it’s beneficial to have your ears examined. If the injury is irreversible, you might require a hearing aid or other device to begin hearing correctly again.

If the damage is only minor, you might have considered trying to see your physician about initiating an exercise and diet plan to lessen the impact your weight has on your well being before it gets any worse. Your doctor should prescribe a cardio intensive exercise program that will help improve your general health and get your blood pumping. There will be, most likely, other improvements in your life as well, mental health, as an example, since day to day exercise will lessen depression according to many studies.

Obesity-Related Hearing Loss, How to Prevent it

In order to protect against obesity-related loss of hearing day to day exercise and a healthy diet are essential. Your hearing will most certainly be kept in better shape if you keep yourself healthy. A program that can assist you to achieve your goals and that is personalized for you can be put together by a nutritionist. The nutritionist can make sure you’re consuming healthy foods with the best blend of nutrients, foods that are high in iron, for instance, since, you guessed it, a lack of iron in your diet can worsen your loss of hearing and trigger tinnitus.

Learn more concerning hearing loss and the treatment options available to help you hear better.